Thursday, January 29, 2009

Show Time!

Tomorrow is the beginning of my first show of the year...
Since my last post, I have found the cone 6 stoneware slip to cast some pieces. It arrived on Monday. Yes, this most recently past Monday! I cast Monday night and Tuesday morning. Bisque fired Wednesday morning and sanded and glazed Wednesday night. The pieces are under a fan all day today (Thursday) and will go into the glaze firing tonight for the show that starts tomorrow! WHEW!
No wonder I woke with a migraine at 4 AM today! Never fear, that pain is gone, thanks to Excedrin. But I am still in that migraine fog that screws with my ability to connect thoughts. And that also affects my typing, the number of times I have to correct weird spelling!
I WILL take photos of the new glazes and new clay pieces at the show. I WILL post them this weekend!
The show is at the Clemson Ramada Inn. The occasion is the Electric City Shag Club's annual Electric Storm. This is a big weekend-long dance party. The proceeds go to charity. For those of you who do not know, Shag is the state dance of SC. It is fun to watch and is danced mainly to beach music. I have seen people dance the Shag to other types of music as well. No, I have not attempted to dance it myself.
The craft show is in the lobby of the motel and is free and open to the public. Michael Craig Designs will be there with his beautiful jewelry and I hear that Tag Team Designs will be there with their diamond plate products as well. There are other vendors as well, but I do not know their names.
I have not forgotten... I WILL take AND post photos this weekend!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

A New Year & New Glazes

Last week I went with a friend to Asheville.
First, we took in the Gem & Mineral Wholesale show at the Civic Center. I love going to those shows... the beads and jems and silver and all are so beautiful.
Then, we went to Highwater Clay, the 'local' clay supplier. I was on a mission to find some additional colors of glazes to use. And, as with anything photographed, it is difficult to tell what they really look like from a catalog or web site. And, some of the glazes I already have look so different than their photos. I also wanted to ask about a Cone 6 stoneware casting slip that looks like it has been reduction fired, although I fire in oxidation.
I was able to find 3 new glazes, Crimson, Texture Chocolate and Ironstone. The slip was a no-go. Although the gentleman behind the counter gave me some suggestions for making my own.I have not taken any good photos of the new glazes yet. The Ironstone & Texture Chocolate may be hard to distinguish in photos anyway. I also discovered, in the glaze firing of the new glazes that my blue fires to a different color in the new kiln. A color people like. Some like it better than the blue fired in the other kiln.
Well, off to cast some more mugs and all...
I've got a show in a few weeks.